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Kenji's streamlined meatloaf

Introduction and source notes

I’ve found this recipe on YouTube. These are my notes while following along cooking it.

Directions

Preheat oven to 175 °C.

The loaf

Put in a bowl and mix by hand into a paste:

  • 100 g Bread (following 1:10 ratio bread:meat)
  • I've once soaked a pretzel and topped up with Panko.
  • 1 egg
  • ½—¾ cup buttermilk
  • pinch of salt
  • ground pepper
  • 2 tbsp powdered gelatin (~13 g)
  • if you like, ½ tsp instant beef broth

Make a mirepoix with butter of chopped…:

  • onions
  • carrots
  • celery

Add the paste in a bowl with

  • 300 g ground beef
  • 300 g ground pork
  • 300 g ground veal
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • dash of Worcestershire sauce
  • ~10-12 g of salt (about 1 %)
  • pepper
  • the mirepoix
  • ~120 g grated (mozzarella) cheese. The cheese should be really fine and not these long sauerkraut-y strings: these do not mix well.

…and knead it until it is homogenous. Do not overmix.

Turn out the mass onto a sheet with parchment paper.

Wet hands with water and form a nice loaf. The ends should be relatively square to not have too tiny ends.

Put it into an oven at 60 °C (140 °F) for 35–40′.

The glaze

Add in the mirepoix pan

  • ~½—¾ cup of ketchup
  • equal amount of brown sugar
  • splash of cider vinegar
  • splash of worcestershire sauce
  • dash of soy sauce

Bring it to simmer, taste it, let cool.

Glazing

Check the core temp of loaf to be 60 °C (140 °F).

Turn the oven to max.

Brush glazing onto loaf, back into oven for 3′.

Apply a second coat of glazing, back into the oven for 3′.

Add a final layer, repeat.

Let rest until core temp of 65-66 °C (150 °F)

Transfer to cutting board, slice.